Related Questions and Answers in relation to Teaching Pronunciaton
1. Historical Overview Description 1940s-1960s
The behaviouristic audio-lingual method stressed the importance of pronunciation in the form of imitation drills, pattern practice, memorization of dialogs, and articulatory explanations.
1970s saw a revolution in thought that questioned whether these practices were effective, that suggested a need for expanded strategies, and in some cases that advocated for the elimination of formal pronunciation instruction from the 2nd language curriculum altogether. The teaching of pronunciation was largely ignores, it was more of a focus on fluency rather than form.
1980s-1990s it was evident to second language teaching professionals that pronunciation was a key ingredient to the development of communicative competence and successful communication. There was then a gradual return to a more balanced approach that valued both accuracy and fluency.
Current Theory advocates a prominent place once again for the teaching of pronunciation, but it does so with very different premises and practices than those of earlier years. Morely (1991) discusses several principles that guide current practices in the treatment of pronunciation in the second language curriculum, beginning with it being an integral component of communication as opposed to an isolated drill and practice subskill
2. Describe the two Basic Approaches in teaching Pronunciation 1.Intuitive-imitative approach: The learner listens to an imitates the sounds and rhythms of the target language without assistance of explicit instruction 2. Analytic-linguistic approach: depends on structured teaching utilizing articulatory descriptions and charts of speech apparatus, phonetic alphabet and vowel charts, and, most recently, a variety of interactive speech analysis software and websites.
3. Areas of Pronunciation
(a) Suprasegmentals of stress
(b) Intonation
(c) Rhythm
(d) Word Level
4. Emphasis in the teaching of Pronunciation Emphasis has moved from the teaching to the learning of pronunciation with the focus on engaging the learners more in their own progress to meet their particular needs. The role fo the teacher has shifted to that of a “facilitator-coach and organizer of instructional activities”.
5.Dual-focus oral communication
(a)Micro level: instruction is focused on linguistic, and more specifically, phonetic – phonological competence through practice of segmental and the suprasegmentals.
(b)Macro level: attends to more global elements of communicability with the goal of developing discourse, sociolinguistic, and strategic competencies by using the language for communicative purposes.
6. Describe the 4 goals of pronunciation instruction
1. Functional Intelligibility: The intent is to help learners develop spoken English that is ( at least) reasonably easy to understand and is not distracting to learners
2. Functional Communicability: The intent is to help the learner develop spoken English that serves his or her individual communicative needs effectively for a feeling of communicative competence.
3. Increased self-confidence: The intent here is to help learners become more comfortable and confident in using spoken English, and to help them develop a positive self-image as a competent non-native speaker of English and a growing feeling of empowerment in oral communication.
4. Speech monitoring abilities and speech modification strategies for use beyond the classroom: The intent here is to help learners develop speech awareness, personal speech monitoring skills, and speech adjustment strategies that will enable them to continue to develop intelligibility, communicability, and confidence outside class as well as inside. 7.
5. Types of sources that enhance pronunciation
1. Articulatory Charts that show front and side views of the mouth and the speaker is producing a targeted sound.
2. Sample words utilizing the targeted sound.
3. Minimal pairs/comparison words- a presentation of two similar sounding words usually with only one (minimal) phoneme difference.
4. Listening discrimitation of minimal pairs within a sentence – students listen to a sentence and identify which one of the two minimal-pair words (for example, lake or rake) the speaker is saying
5. Sample Sentences with several words utilizing the targeted sound.
6. Dictations- students listen and repeat or write what the speaker is saying.
7. Cloze exercises – students listen to sentences and select/produce correct missing words.
8. Suprasegmental exercises that practice intonation, rhythm, stress, and timing.
Related Questions and Answers in relation to Teaching Pronunciaton
1. Historical Overview Description
1940s-1960s
The behaviouristic audio-lingual method stressed the importance of pronunciation in the form of imitation drills, pattern practice, memorization of dialogs, and articulatory explanations.
1970s saw a revolution in thought that questioned whether these practices were effective, that suggested a need for expanded strategies, and in some cases that advocated for the elimination of formal pronunciation instruction from the 2nd language curriculum altogether. The teaching of pronunciation was largely ignores, it was more of a focus on fluency rather than form.
1980s-1990s it was evident to second language teaching professionals that pronunciation was a key ingredient to the development of communicative competence and successful communication. There was then a gradual return to a more balanced approach that valued both accuracy and fluency.
Current Theory advocates a prominent place once again for the teaching of pronunciation, but it does so with very different premises and practices than those of earlier years. Morely (1991) discusses several principles that guide current practices in the treatment of pronunciation in the second language curriculum, beginning with it being an integral component of communication as opposed to an isolated drill and practice subskill
2. Describe the two Basic Approaches in teaching Pronunciation
1.Intuitive-imitative approach: The learner listens to an imitates the sounds and rhythms of the target language without assistance of explicit instruction
2. Analytic-linguistic approach: depends on structured teaching utilizing articulatory descriptions and charts of speech apparatus, phonetic alphabet and vowel charts, and, most recently, a variety of interactive speech analysis software and websites.
3. Areas of Pronunciation
(a) Suprasegmentals of stress
(b) Intonation
(c) Rhythm
(d) Word Level
4. Emphasis in the teaching of Pronunciation
Emphasis has moved from the teaching to the learning of pronunciation with the focus on engaging the learners more in their own progress to meet their particular needs. The role fo the teacher has shifted to that of a “facilitator-coach and organizer of instructional activities”.
5. Dual-focus oral communication
(a) Micro level: instruction is focused on linguistic, and more specifically, phonetic – phonological competence through practice of segmental and the suprasegmentals.
(b) Macro level: attends to more global elements of communicability with the goal of developing discourse, sociolinguistic, and strategic competencies by using the language for communicative purposes.
6. Describe the 4 goals of pronunciation instruction
1. Functional Intelligibility: The intent is to help learners develop spoken English that is ( at least) reasonably easy to understand and is not distracting to learners
2. Functional Communicability: The intent is to help the learner develop spoken English that serves his or her individual communicative needs effectively for a feeling of communicative competence.
3. Increased self-confidence: The intent here is to help learners become more comfortable and confident in using spoken English, and to help them develop a positive self-image as a competent non-native speaker of English and a growing feeling of empowerment in oral communication.
4. Speech monitoring abilities and speech modification strategies for use beyond the classroom: The intent here is to help learners develop speech awareness, personal speech monitoring skills, and speech adjustment strategies that will enable them to continue to develop intelligibility, communicability, and confidence outside class as well as inside. 7.
5. Types of sources that enhance pronunciation
1. Articulatory Charts that show front and side views of the mouth and the speaker is producing a targeted sound.
2. Sample words utilizing the targeted sound.
3. Minimal pairs/comparison words- a presentation of two similar sounding words usually with only one (minimal) phoneme difference.
4. Listening discrimitation of minimal pairs within a sentence – students listen to a sentence and identify which one of the two minimal-pair words (for example, lake or rake) the speaker is saying
5. Sample Sentences with several words utilizing the targeted sound.
6. Dictations- students listen and repeat or write what the speaker is saying.
7. Cloze exercises – students listen to sentences and select/produce correct missing words.
8. Suprasegmental exercises that practice intonation, rhythm, stress, and timing.